ORTHODONTICS

Compare and Contrast the use of Removable Appliances, Functional Appliances, Fixed Appliances in Orthodontics

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Abstract

Orthodontics is a specialty of dentistry that is concerned with the study and treatment of malocclus ions (improper bites ), which may be a result of tooth irregularity, dis proportionate jaw relations hips, or both. The word comes from the Greek wordsorthos meaning straight or proper, and odons meaning tooth.

Orthodontic treatment can focus on dental displacement only, or can deal with the control and modification of facial growth. In the latter case it is better defined as "dentofacial orthopedics". Orthodontic treatment can be carried out for purely aes thetic reasons with regards to improving the general appearance of patients ' teeth. However, there are orthodontists who work on reconstructing the entire face rather than focusing exclusively on teeth. Treatment is most often prescribed for practical reasons such as providing the patient with a functionally improved bite (occlusion).

This paper provides a comparison of appliances used in orthodontics, i.e. removable appliances, functional appliances, and fixed appliances. The contemporary usesof removable appliances are cons iderably more limited than in the past.

Compare and Contrast the use of Removable Appliances, Functional Appliances, Fixed Appliances in Orthodontics

This paper provides a comparison of appliances used in orthodontics, i.e. removable appliances, functional appliances, and fixed appliances. Initial Popularity of Removable Appliances. At the beginning of the twentieth century, orthodontics in the UK was provided using removable appliances that consisted of a vulcanite baseplate that covered the palate and capped the molars and premolars for retention.1 Although the materials changed, removable appliances remained the principal appliance for orthodontic treatment in the UK and Europe for the next 70 years (www.nature.com).

In contrast, the removable appliance had little impact on American orthodontics, which at that time was dominated by Edward Angle. Angle was originally a prosthodontist with an interest in occlusion. Producing an ideal occlusion relied on the ability to exactly position teeth and this required the use of fixed appliances (Rebecca, 2007).

It was Angle that established orthodontics as a specialty and ran the only postgraduate orthodontic courses in the world at that time. Consequently, Angle's trainees dominated teaching departments in the US for the next 40 years - hence the almost exclusive use of fixed appliances in American orthodontics (www.nature.com).

The contemporary uses of removable appliances are considerably more limited than in the past. Removables can also be used as an adjunct to more complex treatments, to enhance the effect of fixed appliances and headgear,as they are not efficient to correct a malocclusion fully. Removable appliances are made from acrylic and wires. These removable appliances are capable to do only tilting movements of single tooth, or as space maintance appliances. They are also used for moving block of teeth. Lower removable appliances are more difficult to tolerate due to encroachmenton the tongue space, also the lingual tendency of the molars make the hold of clasps more difficult. Hence it is used mainly upper removable ...